Improvement in revolving fire-arms



C. BRAND. Revolver;

l Pame'dApril 2s, 1863.

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.firma/2%- PATENT OFFICE,

CHRISTOPHER C. BRAND, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,279, dated April :28, 1853.

To all whom t may concern: Y

Beit known that I, CHRISTOPHER C. BRAND, of Norwich, in the county ot' Nen7 London and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Repeating Fire-Arms; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of that part of a repeating rie which embodies my improvements. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same according to a vertical plane pass` ing through the aXis of the barrel, the black lines in said figure indicating the breech closed against the butt ot' the barrel, while the blue lines represent it open. YFigs. 3 and 4 are transverse sections of the same at the line my ot' Fig. l, and looking toward the barrel. In the former iigure the breech is supposed to be removed, in the latter closed. Fig. 5 represents a transverse section of the same at the line y e of Fig. 1, also looking toward the barrel.

My invention relates to that class of repeat# ing tire-arms which are adapted to the use ot' metallic cartridges that are inserted into the revolving cylinder at its butt; and my invention consists, first, in the combination ofa cylindershorter than thecartridge-case used therein, and having, when operated, a compound backand-forth and rotary motion, and a lock, in such manner that these two move together in a recess or recesses in the stock, While the stock remains permanently connected with the barrel of the firearm; second,in the combination, With a cylinder having a sliding and rotary motion and lock moving with the cylinder to and from the barrel in a recess in the stock, of a trigger permanently connected with the stock, the arrangement being such that the hammer can be operated thereby only when thecylinderisclosed against the barrel, third, in the combination, with a sliding revolving cylinder sliding with the lock in a recess or recesses in the stock, ot' a lock-case ot' such construction that it performs the functions ot' guiding the cylinder and of protecting the lock while moving to and from the barrel,

`fourth, in the combination, with a sliding revolvin g cylinder and a lock-containin g guidecase, when moving together in recesses in the stock to and from the barrel, of. a percussionpin located Within said case to transmit the blow ot' the hammer to the cartridge in the barrel; fifth, in the combination of a lever which moves the sliding and revolving cylinder in a recess of the stock to and from the barrel and of a mechanism i'or operating the revolution of the cylinder under such arrangement that when the said lever is raised on a pivot on the rear end thereof the cylinder is drawn back from `and in line with the barrel and rotated upon its axis.

The tire-arm represented in the accom pany- .ing drawings contains several essential features for which Letters Patent ot' the United States Were issued to me on the 23d day of September, 1862, and the main feature consists in making the length of the revolving cylinder shorter than the. length of the' cartridgecase, so that the front end oi' a cartridge when in a chamber of the cylinder protrudes infront of it, and in combining the said cylinderwith the barrel by means ot' mechanism in such manner that the cylinder is withdrawn from the butt of the barrel prior to its rotation sufficiently to permit the end ot the cartridge to turn, and is moved toward the barrel to close the breech and insert the protruding end of the cartridge into the butt of the barrel. By this combination the front end of the cartridge-case is caused to overlap the joint of the breech at the time the charge is tired to prevent the escape thereat of any matter from within. In this instance the stoclrAis recessed in its upper portion to receive within its cavity the lock L, snugly incased in a casing,B, open on its under side, so that thesear C of the lock may be operated upon by the trigger D and closed at the sides and on top, allowing only the cock of the hammer to protrude therefrom, so that the hammer may from Without be cocked and its action otherwise controlled. This casing Bextends in front of the lock the length of the path which the lock in its motion to and from the barrel describes, and is fitted into a portion ot' the stock, which is recessed at the sides, constituting a guide-bolt, whereby the lock and the cylinder are guided in their reciprocating movement. This lock-oase or guide-bolt is therefore guided on top and bottom by both that portion of the stock which is recessed upon its sides and that which is recessed on top in direction of its depth.

To the front end of the casing is fixed a spindle, E, upon which is mounted therevolving cylinder, F, the recess from side to side in the stock being sufficiently large to admit of the cylinder having within it its reciprocating and rotary motion. To the rear end of the casing thereis pivoted the link G, by means of which the casing is connected with thelever H,

whose rear end is pivoted in the extreme rear end of the recess in thetop of the stock, and the dimensions of the parts are such that lines iny Fig. 2,the revolving cylinder and lock are moved back from the butt of the barrel, leaving ample space between the front end of the cylinder and the barrel for the projecting ends of the cartridges to turn into line with breech is closed by the forward movement of the cylinder. In order to revolve the cylinder, a ratchet-wheel, b, is fitted to the rear or butt of the cylinder. rlhe teeth of this ratchet-wheel are operated upon by a spring-pawl, c, which is pivoted to one arm of a vibrating pawl, d, pivoted in its turn to the outside ot' the lock-case, and deriving its vibratory -motion from a pin or stud, j', fixed to and proiecting from the interior iaee of the recess of the stock'. lhe vibratory pawl is so shaped as to be operated by the pin or studl during that part of the backward movement of the cylinder and its appurtenances when the ends ot' the cartridges are clear of the barrel. Be-

. fore the cylinder reaches its most backward position the incline or cam side of the vibratory pawl comes in contact with the pin, so that the continued movement ofthe cylinder by the lever causes the pawl-lever to vibrate and to rotate the cylinder. This vrotation of the cylinder continues until the chamber previously in line with the barrel is moved past it and a succeeding chamber is brought into linev with the barrel. When this is accomplished the further rotation of the cylinder andits further movement backward by the lever are simultaneously stopped by the projecting endg of the shield s coming in contact with the bottom of the side recess in the stock. The rear end ofthe vibrating pawl is now in such a position that when the cylinder is moved forward by the lever H the pin f comes in contact with the rear end of the vibrating pawl suflleSSeS.

ficiently, before the cylinder reaches its placel at the butt of the barrel to move the pawl-lever the distance required to withdraw the pawl from the ratchet-tooth with which it was in contact and engage it with the tooth appertaining to the succeeding chamber of the l cylinder.

In order to transmit the blow from the hammer through the intermediate lock case or guide-bolt to the cartridge, I provide the said lock-case with a percussion-pin, P,located in an orifice in the body of the lock-case in line with the percussion-hammer and the ange of the cartridge to be struck. This percussionpin'is'causedby'means of--a spiral spring-tt-V slightly protrude from the face of the block opposite the hammer, while its yfront end is flush with the face of the case which is opposite the cylinder.

Having thus fully described my invention and the ma-nner in which the same is carried into effect, I shall state my claims as follows:

1. The combination of a cylinder shorter than thelength of the cartridge-case used therein, and having when operated acompoundbackand-forth and rotary motion, and a Klock in such manner that these two move together in a recess or recesses in the stock, while the stock remains permanently connected with the barrel of the tire-arm, substantially as hereinbefore lset forth. t

2. The combination, with a cylinder having a sliding and rotary motion and a lock moving with the cylinder to and from the barrel in a recess in 'the stock, of a trigger permanently connected with the stock7 the whole being arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

3. rlhe combination, witha sliding revolving cylinder sliding with the lock in arecessor re-` cesses in the stock, of alock-case of such construction thatit performs the functions of guiding the cylinder and protecting the lock while moving to and from the barrel, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination, withasliding revolving cylinder and a lock-containin g guide-case, when moving together in recesses in the stock to and from the barrel, of a percussion-pin located within said case to transmit the blow of the hammer to the cartridge in the barrel, sub# stantially as set forth. l

5. rlhe combination of a lever which moves the sliding and revolving cylinder in a recess of the stock to and from the barrel and of Va. mechanism for so operating the revolution ofthe cylinder under such arrangement that when the said lever is raised on a pivot on the rear end thereof the cylinder is drawn back and in line with the barrel and rotated upon its axis, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this spccication before two subscribing wit- G. C. BRAND.

Witnesses:

A. PoLLoK, WM. H. HARRIsoN. 

